Pretzel-cooking apparatus



Oct. 4, 1927.

. w. EHRHART PRETZEL COOKING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24 1925 PM w v v. Zwvvntoz 1771.1 7 few/#7 7;

Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

plained. a

rnETzEL-cooKINe' APPARATUS.

7 Application filed November 24, 1925. Serial No. 71,054.

My invention consists of a novel construction of a pretzel cooking apparatus, wherein I have'redu'ced the number of-parts to aminimum and have provided novel means for guiding the pretzels during their cooking in the heated solution of soda and water, so that pretzels of different thicknesses can be readily cooked in'my novel apparatus by adjusting vertically an upper pretzel ment of skilled labor.

It further consists of anovelconstruction of a. pretzel cooking tank having a front well provided with a baffle plate in its upper portion which prevents undue disturbance of the heated soda and water solution said front well being adapted to coact with a rear wall intowhich the heated sodaand water solution is received from a tank having a bottom which inclines upwardly from front to rear, such solution being continuously and slowly pumped from the rear well to the front well as will be hereinafter ex- It further consists in providing an adjustable pretzel guiding member with a rearward extension which overhangs the rear well and serves 'to deflect the cooked pretzels, across a series of inclined bars arranged over the top ofthe rear well, containing the water and soda solution.

' It further consists of a novel construction of a feed conveyor; an adjustable pretzel guiding device, a tank having its bottom slightly inclined upwardly from the front to rear, a. front and rear well, a baftie plate in the front well, guiding devices controlling the exit of the pretzels and a solution circu- 'lating device for-pumping the solution from the rear well to the front well.

It further consists of other novel features of construction andadvantage, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings several forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the" same have been found in practice to give satis-,

factory and reliable results, although it is to be understoodthat the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be ivariously' arranged and organized and :that my: invention is-not limited t'o the preguiding member, which can be done. in a few seconds time without the employ- 1 corresponding parts.

cise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and de- I scribed. f

Figure '1, represents a plan view of a pretzel l cooking apparatus embodying my invention. J I

Figure 2, represents alongitudinal sectional view on line 22,:Figure l.

Figure 3',represents a vertical sectional a View on line 3-3, Figure 2.

- Similar numerals of reference indicate In carrying out-my invention I providea suitable tank 1, having'the front end 2,"-the bottom 3, which inclines upwardly from the" front tothe rear. side walls 4: and therear member 8 is formed between the rear end wall 5 the bottom 6 and the upright wall 7 and thesides 4. A front well'ortrough 9 is formed between the front wall 2, the botfront well-9. 15vdesigna-tes afibaflie' plate end wall 5. The rear well or troughelike v which is located above the discharge opening r 16 of the pipe let and prevents any undue disturbance of the solution in the front trough or well 9 as it is pumped thereinto through'the pipe 14. 16 designates a series of inclined bars at the top of the rear well 8 over'which the pretzels travel-in their exit from the cooking apparatus. 17 designates a shaft at the front of the apparatus which Carries the tight and loose pulleys Band 19, said shaft -17 carrying the sprocket; I

wheels 20 over which passes the inclined sprocket chain, apron or feed conveyor 21 of any suitable construction whichconstitutes the feeding device forthepretzelsv22.

23, designates ashaft carryingthe sprocket wheels 24: over'which passes the'lower portion of the inclined endless feed "conveyor2l just referred to. 25 designates the pretzel guide plate, which is provided on each side with" the upright"v lugs 26;:which engage the have the slots 27 therein,ithrough whichpass the screws or bolts 28,- whereby the height of the pretzel cooking chamber-29 or space between the plate or partition'25 and the inner surfaces of the vertical wallsd and.

f togut de t-he pretzels aftercookingupon the i yea tliatefthe moi ffi'fl" heatingfjacket lg supplied with-liye steam oriotheri lieating medium by means of the -zpipe or icondu it133. i Thebaflle wallelfiv in the plate has'the xtnsionfao', which pro "Y 'jec-ts qiart way over, the bars 16*111 order I "plate .31. ".T-he'bottom 3of the. tank contain- 'lmgthe-soda and-watersol-ution maybe-kept v "cheated by any suitable means as a steam 7 jacket" 32, into which"steam?maysbe'jintrw duc d by steam pipe 33, seen in F gure ,za operation f; we deem.

{is forced te timerearward y throughthe "cooking chamber Qabetweerr the gripp r ad- .justabl'e'plate25 andthe bottom 3, back'into -'l -ithwe1l'='8, "in a curren'urthe y'ol'ume and" 1 speed of which canbe regulatediiat will, 'by

j adjusting" the' speed' ofthe'j pum uaandthe I aposijtion' oftheguidmplatefia As'jthe-Eur;

" f uamuea29,ths pretzels ar'e f ed and dropped Y injwthe s meifiromsprocket chain conveyor 7 aswili be sander-steed from "Fig; 2. v The i pt'etzels hayin a lower spec'ific grayity than;

' ingfsolution', willfloat there a -rent'until t 3 cookingjjchamber 29ywhere, being d'e flected V :-:by t'he' reare ten'sion' of=the uide plate 25,;t-he pretzels fall on the islanting 'g'rill ing solutioniin"whichthe pretzels; were'carr'ied through the booking chamber 2-9", drains 1 l 7 through the bars 16 l and "flows back-"into the Well 18-, "-whence it ie-againpulnped "into the f all 9 in' th iinanner above'i described.

solation flowing=therethrough -iare :ke t at f-the desired temperature'bygmeans of the wen 9*servesfto 'eli-minatefany agitation that o 7 mayfiresult' in the eopking 'solutionffrom-the 7 'ctmn f the i pump'i :l3"=-and thus iproeuees a "stead seontinuous- -flow bf the ie ekih soluit :2 ifio'n, Thusyth pretzels 22, idr'opped orfed wellin communication with said -.chamber,

I m at the front-end iofthei' ookingchaz'nber '29; are cookedas they move with the heat-ed Q ,i f humane 'iof :"eookiiz'ig 1 solution and*-=emer eat thekeafiend thereofiina cooked zcondition ti'ca-lresults.

' Theflcooking' chamber"29 and the cooking,"

sIightlyE highe-i"'in themeli l than it is in the well 8,-due' to theaction-of V the-pump 18, 1 thereby creating the-backward of course be Varied to secure the best p'rac- It will be noted that the bottom 3 is forwardly inclined, thatis, it is higher at its rear'than at itsffont-end; which, inaddition 'toreta'rding the flow of the cooking solution, also prevents "the-same from spilling or over 'flowi'ngat the-rear end; i

Y The amount of time necessary for the proper-cooking ofthep'ret zels to float the sa-rne can be regulated or controlled by the rate of speed o t-"the pump 13, the difference "in relative height of "the tanks'8 and 9 'ftl16 length ofthe cooking ch mberaaand the height of the adjustable"guide plate- 25, with respect to =the=bottom --3, the illustration shown in the drawings fbeing Tnere'ly' diagraininat icand being merely illustrative of the general principle of cooking pretzels in a continuous; automatic and economical una'l'nfi'er, Thus, in'steadof merely having a pot or pan" filled with the *heated cooking solution and dropping t-hereinto a numberof pretzels, leaving the same therefor the requisite period and then withdrawing l the same "by'uneans "ofa strainer' or the like, I provide a continuouscooking process, in which the pretzels are automatically fed into tlie .cooki11g cl1amber and i'roni' which they emerge: automatically; thus producing a more uniforni "grade of pretzels, eliminating all unnecessary liandling and effecting a greatsaving in 'tln'l' and material. I V 'WhatI clainris:

loo

1. A )pa'ratus ofthe characterstated coinprising afco'oking chamber, a bottom wall "th'e're'for, which 7 inclines upwardly froni front 'toFrearithereof, a 'frontwell 1 and a ber, circulating means common to said wells for-eiiectlng a continuous circulation' of a cooking solution; :means for conveying uncooked edible articles to said chamber; and means including a vertically adjustable member for guiding said artic'les' through 1 10 7 rear well in co ninunication'with said ch-amsaid chariiberarand=a1ong=said"bottom-wall.

p2pApparatus of the character stated, co1nprising a cooking chamber;'a- :bottoniwall therefor, ,fWlliCl'l tinclines upwardly: from front to rearthereof, a front Welland area-r a'baffie plate'for said front wellf-for prevent- HigHITClUB "disturbance ofasoluti'on; circu elating means i common tosaid wells fQifBifCting a continuous circulation of? a cooki ng 'ediblefiarticl'es t s aid 1iamber,a1 inciud. in g a 'vertically adjustable member for circulating means common to said wells. for

said chamber.

guiding said. articlesthrough said chamber and along said bottom wall.

3. Apparatus of the character stated, comprising a cooking chamber, a bottom wall therefor, which inclines upwardly from front to rear thereof, a front well anda rear well in communication with said chamber,

effectinga continuous circulation of a cook- 1 ing solution, means for conveying uncooked edible articles to said chamber, means including a vertically adjustable member for. guiding said articles through sald chamber and tflong said bottom wall, and laterally disposed, spaced, inclined bars arranged above said rear well and overwhich said edible articles pass 1n their discharge from 4;. Apparatus of the character stated, comprising a cooking chamber, a bottom wall therefor, which inclines upwardly from front to rear thereof, a front well and a rear well in communication with said chamber,

circulating means common to said wells for 1; effecting a continuous clrculation of a 'cook ing solution, means for conveying uncooked edible articles to said chamber, and means including a vertically adjustable member for guiding said articles through said chamber and along said bottom wall, said vertically adjustable member having its reari'end extended partially over said rear well.

5. Apparatus of the character stated, comprising a cooking chamber, a bottom wall therefor which inclines upwardly from front to rear thereof, a front well and a rear well in communicationwith said chamber, circu lating means common to said wells for effecting a continuous circulation of acooking solution, means for continuously conveying uncooked edible art cles to said chamber, and

means including a vertically adjustable member for guiding said articles through said chamber and along said bottom wall.

6. Apparatus of the character stated com prising a cooking chamber, a bottom wall therefor which inclines upwardly from front to rear thereof, a front well and a rear well in communication with said receptacle, means connecting said wells for effecting a continuous circulation therebetween, means for conveying an uncooked edible article to said receptacle and through said circulating solution. I r f 7. In a pretzel cooking apparatus, a cooking chamber, side and bottom walls there-- for, a front well and a rear well, in com-Y munication with said chamber, circulating meanscommon to said wells for efiecting a -continuous circulation of a cooking solution and a vertically ad ustable member above said bottom wall for guiding articles'of .varying'thicknesses through said chamber wall during the cookand along said bottom mg operation. c,

'munication' with said chamber, circulating means common to saidwells for eflecting'a continuous circulation of a cooking solution and a vertically adjustable member above said bottom wall for guiding articles of -varying thicknesses through said chamber and along said bottom wall during the cooking operation, said vertically adjustable member having-its rear end extended over guide plate above said cooking chamber,

means for adjusting said guide plate vertically with respect to said bottom Wall, and means for creating a circulation between the g 7 e -8. In pretzel cooking apparatus, a cooking chamber, side and bottom walls there for, a front well and a'rear well, in 'comw rear and front ends of said cooking chamber, a

in combination with means for heating said cooking chamber.

11. Apparatus of the character stated, comprising a cooking chamber, a bottom wall therefor which inclines upwardly from front to rear thereof, a front wellanda rear well 1n communication with said chamber, circulating means common tosaid wells for eifectmga continuous circulatlon of acook ing solutiommeans for conveying uncooked edible articles to saidchamber, and means including 'a vertically adjustable member for guiding said articles through said chamber and along said bottom wall, in combination with means for heating the bottom wall of said cooking chamber.

12. Apparatus of the character stated, comprising a cooking chamber, a bottom wall therefor which inclines upwardly from front to rear thereof, a front well and a rearwell bafile plate for said frontwell for prevent I in communication with said chamber, a

ing undue disturbance ofa solution, circulating means common tosaid wells for effecting a continuous circulation of'a cooking solution, means for conveying uncooked edible articles to saidchamber, and, means including a vertically adjustable member for guiding said articles through said chamber and along said bottom 'wall, in combination with means for heating the bottom wall of,

said cooking chamber. 1

' j W'ILLIAM ns-HA T,

and front ends of. said cooking 

